Page 49 of Christmas Home

“I have to meet with the new owners of my old home, the one—” Clyde’s smile dropped, and he put his hand on my shoulder. “I wondered if you’d join me.”

“Of course, honey. I’d be happy to. When and where?”

I had to catch my breath from having him call me honey, but I managed not to make a scene. “It’ll be at the library. I was hoping to go tonight.” When I said it, he told me to hold on while he checked with his boss.

He disappeared into the back and returned a moment later, smiling again. “Mrs. Cole said she doesn’t need me after four, so come get me any time after that.”

I nodded and kissed him before I thought about it. His cheeks blushed adorably, which warmed all the cold parts of me.

Corey was right, again. Having Clyde with me made things better. I didn’t understand why, but I didn’t need to. It was enough for me that he did.

forty

Clyde

At four thirty, Rutherand Corey stood patiently waiting for me in the café. I was glad I’d taken a few minutes to rush up to my apartment to shower and change, since I’d been sweaty and smelled like food. Both men smiled as I came out.

Ruther leaned over and kissed me, causing me to blush again. I wasn’t used to such public affection, but damned if I didn’t like it. I guess it went a long way to show how comfortable I was in Crawford City, not to feel the need to look around to see who’d seen the kiss.

“You smell good,” Ruther said quietly.

“Yeah, I got off early for a shower. I wouldn’t be much company if I smelled like I’d worked all day.”

Corey led the way to the library, and Ruther walked arm in arm with me. It felt so strange that he showed this kind of affection, but like the kiss, I wasn’t going to complain. It was just too nice.

The library was a stone’s throw from the café, so we hadn’t gone far before Corey opened the door for us, and we walked inside. Besides the café, this was my most visited spot in town. I didn’t have cable or any streaming services, didn’t think I could afford them, but Mrs. Cole had left a TV and DVD player at the apartment, so I often checked out movies from the library for free.

I also loved reading, and Chris quickly learned my favorite authors and was constantly recommending a new book for me to try out.

Chris and Roth were standing together behind the front counter, working. It was still so weird to see a famous music star working in a small-town library. Chris noticed us and smiled, although he looked slightly concerned when he glanced at Ruther.

I remembered Ruther’s panic attack last summer when Chris came over to his table, and I immediately tightened my grip on his arm. I’d forgotten that Chris had been the trigger for that incident. I hadn’t put two and two together that Chris and Roth had bought Ruther’s home. I didn’t know much about that, only that Chris’s parents lived with him, and his mom had invited me to join them for dinner. Something I hadn’t taken her up on yet.

Both men greeted us, then Chris asked Roth to watch the front while he showed us his discovery.

Of course, Roth agreed, and we followed Chris into a room behind the circulation desk. It wasn’t very inviting. The room had no windows, the fluorescent light was way too intense, and every corner was crammed full of books.

“I found an old photograph in the historical material that was sent, well, a while ago,” he said to Ruther, clearly avoiding something. “This photo is of the old Quaker meeting house that was here years ago. I only figured out where exactly it’d beenlocated after I received the latest of your family’s archive of Crawford City.”

He pulled another picture out from behind the first and pointed at a particular area. “See, this is the corner of what used to be called the First National Crawford Bank and Trust. You can see the name on the building. You can also see a road that runs right along the bank, and there’s the old meeting house.”

We all looked at the photo. I had no idea where this was going, but I was here for moral support, not because I could offer feedback.

“That’s interesting, but—” Ruther began, but Chris quickly pressed on.

“Mr. Crawford, Jake told me you’re looking to develop the property that runs on the other side of the old railroad tracks. I thought you might like to know, before the railroad came to town, that road in the photograph ran directly into the property you’re considering. The road is long gone, of course, and the whole section of town across the street where it used to run has been built up, but I thought you might want to install a monument at the meeting house site. It’d be near the exit from the neighborhood you’re building. Something to commemorate Crawford City’s pioneer past, especially the part about our Quaker roots.”

I stared at the two pictures. The old building looked just like any old church did back in the day. It was a plain rectangular building with planks that ran horizontally, most likely painted white. What appeared to be a bell hung on the roof above the doorway.

“I don’t remember ever seeing this picture,” Ruther said, and for a moment, it looked like he might get emotional. “I wonder—”

Corey was staring at the picture too. “Do you mind if we take these with us?” he asked.

Chris stiffened. “They technically belong to you, but I’ve searched through the county records, through our archives, and as far as I can tell, these two pictures are the only ones left of those old buildings.”

Ruther laughed. “Chris, I admire your commitment to preserving them. Mind if we snap some pictures using our phones?”

“Of course, go right ahead. I can also scan these at a high resolution and save the digital copies to a flash drive for you.”

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